Stargate: Dark Frontier Season 2 Webisodes
by Lone-ranger1
Summary: Change has arrived to Atlantis, and over the next two months, everyone will adapt to the new situation. A series of important scenes in the two months following the Olim Invasion.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chuck's Coles notes on Atlantis 2.0**_

**A/N:** Honor goes to where honor is due. This webisode was inspired by WritingInCT's "Counting in Days" which remains my absolute favorite Apoca!Fic. You can find it by going to my profile and checking my faves, or just searching the site :P

**Warning:** If you go searching for "Counting In Days" prepare to cry. Fair warning.

Each of the 5 webisode chapters is prefaced by an Email that will give technical information. I've tried to make them as "entertaining." as possible.

Enjoy!

* * *

From: Chuck

To: All Atlantis Inhabitants

Re: Restructuring of Atlantis Politics.

For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm the guy in the control room handling the gate most of the time. You may have seen me screaming like a little girl when I broke my arm. My only defense to this is that it hurt. A lot.

In any case, Daniel Jackson has asked me to simplify the proceedings going on behind closed doors, i.e. all that intrigue your elders and captains have been involved in recently.

Before that though, Carson Beckett has put a billboard outside the main hospital office with pictures of all the wounded in case you're still missing someone. At last count, there have been forty three deaths, and a little over a hundred wounded. Please see Carson and Reyna for details.

In case you're not aware of what a democracy is, here's what the database we still have from Earth defines it as.

* * *

**Democracy** is a political government carried out either directly by the people (direct democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (Representative democracy). The term is derived from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (_dēmokratía_) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (_dêmos_) "people" and κράτος (_krátos_) "power", in the middle of the fifth-fourth century BC to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens following a popular uprising in 508 BC Even though there is no specific, universally accepted definition of 'democracy', there are two principles that any definition of **democracy** includes: equality and freedom. These principles are reflected in all citizens being equal before the law and having equal access to power, and the freedom of its citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are generally protected by a constitution.

* * *

To make it simpler, instead of having a small command structure that was left over from Pegasus, Daniel wants all of _you_ to vote for who'd be your leaders and representatives in the new command structure which has yet to be named.

Daniel has called specifically for a parliamentary system. Which basically means that he'd be the equivalent of the "Prime Minister" in that he will weigh the different considerations of everyone and try and broker a compromise that satisfies everyone.

At the moment, only two other positions have been confirmed. Teyla Emmagan has been selected to be the head representative for the Settlers in all command staff decisions, Nevas from the _Navras_ has been selected as the representative of the Travelers, as Larrin has also stepped down and returned to captain her ship.

Instead of the three of them making large decisions on their own though (they still can in emergencies), each will have sub-committee of elected officials to advise them of what's going on in each specific area of the city. In order for this to be a democratic system, Daniel has drawn up the following list of available positions. Anyone can apply for them, but you must win a majority vote from your peers in order to qualify.

* * *

**Travelers Sub-Committee **– 20 positions available. Current nominees are active and former Captains of all ships, as well as remaining Traveler Council Members apart from Larrin.

**Settlers Sub-Committee** – 10 positions available. Current nominees are tribe leaders.

There are several other roles as well that need to be filled, but those will come with time, Larrin contacted me and asked me to publish this general order from her as well.

* * *

**From Larrin to Atlantis.**

All Travelers are now to regard Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Marks as honorary Fleet Commander. This is my final order before stepping down to Captain of _Navras._ Any Settlers that want to learn how to fly our ships report to any of the command staff of _Daedalus_ for basic training.

To all Traveler technicians, Colonel Carter needs you. _Now. _This is a direct order for you to report to her and do _whatever_ she says. She has several projects that need immediate attention for our survival.

Larrin.

* * *

In case you aren't aware, those "immediate' projects that Colonel Carter is working on involve Hydroponic Farms, A Foundry to replace the area where Towers D6 and 7 stood, A Maintenance Lab for smaller equipment, as well as a few other projects which I quote "are too sensitive to announce." (her words, not mine)

Voting can be done by e-mail, or if you still haven't worked out how that works (Sam offered to run a class or two a week just to teach that since it's so useful), drop by the Mess Hall between 4 and 7 PM for me and Daniel to take your votes. It'll all be announced in two months a little after the new year according to the Earth calendar. And yes, we're still using that. Atlantis was set up to that so it's no sense to screw around with it now. The planet we're on has a 26 hour day so it just means two extra hours of light or dark at a time, we'll work something out once we're settled in properly. Yes I know it's screwed up, and the year here is a little longer, and colder, and there's at least a dozen other things fraked up with this planet but it's home for now, trust me people, we're in a much better position than we could have been. And Atlantis can always make its own breathable air. (Yes I checked)

Chuck Campbell, your Director of Human Resources.

* * *

---------- 309 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 7 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Sam read over the page Chuck had sent via E-mail and smiled. It was exactly what she needed right now.

Sitting alone in Rafaela's lab, Sam prepared to go out and begin the task of measuring and setting up the power and water conduits needed for a hydroponic garden. It was simple, it was efficient, and she hated to admit it but she was enjoying it.

John had offered to help, but truthfully there was little he'd be able to help her with in this respect beyond mule work. She needed people who could use technology and build things without being directly supervised. Rafaela had been oddly quiet, but agreed to help. With several technicians from the Travelers already having volunteered, she was ready to begin.

As she gathered the tools she'd need into a dolly, she heard the doors open to the lab. Turning, she was surprised to see Mila standing there looking unemotional. "Mila?"

The now 4 inches taller Traveler girl nodded and stepped forward. "Hey Sammie… I uhh… I came to help out."

Sam was not at all convinced by her reply. "Mila…" Looking at Mila, Sam instantly went back to her own childhood. Hiding behind different kinds of barriers and shields was only going to make things harder. "I thought you were on _Daedalus."_

Mila shrugged, and moved over to the dolly where she fiddled with a few small tools. "Couldn't stay there… not… not now." Just a hint of emotion. Sam could tell Mila was struggling.

Sam had her brother Mark when her own mother died. Mila… Sam didn't even know if Mila had anyone else who wasn't damaged right now. Kevin had pretty much cut off all non-important contact, as had Larrin. Sam still blamed herself for the two of them… but that was in the past now. All she could do was deal with the here and now as best she could. And that now included Mila.

So Sam moved over and wrapped an arm around Mila. When the young woman stifled a sob, Sam knew she'd done the right thing. The young woman had become a great friend in the past year, and to leave her alone now was cruel.

Mila held back most of her sobs, but her eyes still watered. Sam led her over to where Rafaela had put a couch and sat them both down. Mila wiped her eyes, and after a moment spoke softly. "You shouldn't… I… I can't get close to anyone."

Sam didn't really understand. "Sorry?"

Mila shook her head and pulled away a bit. "I… I'm cursed. I got a gremlin or something. I just can't keep anyone close…"

Very confused, Sam squeezed Mila's shoulder trying to console her. "I don't understand. Curse? Gremlin?"

Scoffing softly, which greatly surprised Sam given that Mila wasn't the kind of person to act jaded, Mila said. "Everyone who gets close to me _dies._" She bowed her head and rubbed her face. "That or they get really hurt… like Radek… or Larrin."

A pang of pure horror struck Sam, Mila was more like her than she thought. "…" What could she say? "Mila… you're not cursed… It's not a curse that life can be hard on some people."

Huffing, Mila squeezed the bridge of her nose trying to regain control. "I just wanna get to work… machines don't make me hurt inside."

Sam had used that same strategy herself, it worked… for a time. What Mila likely didn't know was that the monotony of scientific work gave one plenty of time to think, and invariably it came back to the initial pain. "_Mila…"_ she began more sternly than she wanted. Jack and Daniel had amusingly referred to this as her 'mom' tone. "…if you're cursed than I'm cursed too."

Turning in surprise, Mila looked at Sam. _"What?"_

Sam pursed her lips and bit the insides for a moment before elaborating. "You asked me once if I was married… and I told you I wasn't… but it's not from a lack of trying." Mila looked confused, so Sam sniffled her suddenly runny nose and said. "When I was just a little older than you, I got engaged… I left that man because he wasn't right. A few years later… I saw him die." Sam remembered watching Jonas Hanson get tossed into the Stargate, Something like that doesn't leave you easily. "I never really wanted to get close to anyone after that. But I did. I never found out what happened to two of them; they're likely dead. But the other…" Sam felt her jaw tremble a fraction of an inch. "… I had to kill the other one myself."

Mila was shocked to say the least. Sam was admitting something very personal and all in an attempt to console her. Misery truly did love company. "…how can you say it's not a curse then? How can you get close to Sheppard and not be afraid?"

Sam pulled Mila into another small hug and said. "I _am_ afraid. But I can't live my life based on bad things that happen to people around me. I have a lot of other people I'm close to that can't seem to die." Sam snorted softly at her dark joke. She remembered John making the same one to console her. "John's one of them. You don't know what he's been through Mila, not entirely." She raised her head and stared off into the distance. Life as a soldier could be so tremendously painful, but Sam would never stop cherishing the deep friendships she'd made. "I think only Teyla, Ronon, and Daniel know what me and John have been through. And I can tell you as a scientific fact. Neither of us is cursed. We're just two people who keep surviving."

Mila couldn't help but smile softly. Sam had broken it down into a manageable sized chunk of truth, and she couldn't help but feel a little better.

* * *

---------- 311 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 9 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"So what would the Olim do in this case?" John tried to ask the question diplomatically, not hostile like Alicia, and not buddy buddy like Daniel or Carson would.

Aleron stood nearby, his one eye focused on Dusty and the life signs monitors attached to her. "It would depend on certain factors."

The hospital was quiet now, a few people wandered about aimlessly, looking for something that likely didn't exist. John knew what they were looking for. Closure. "Like?"

Daniel had advised Aleron to remain less forthcoming with certain aspects of Olim culture, especially those that may fuel the flames of hatred broiling in Atlantis's inhabitants. Sheppard was being quite simple though, Aleron believed him when he said he trusted him. "The wounded with a higher level of genetic evolution are tended to first. In Mehra's case, were she a Centaurion, our doctors would use Progenitor technology to freeze her body in an inanimate state and proceed to repair the damage." Aleron sighed softly, he didn't like having to explain when he knew he was just going to get yelled at. "Were she an Augustine, simpler and less resource intensive procedures would be used."

John turned to Aleron with a curious glance. Where the hell did these people learn to speak? "Augustine? One of the houses right?"

Aleron nodded, and realized that several of the patients were looking at him. No matter, he was used to being the center of attention. "Yes, the least evolved." He turned to John and in a softer tone replied. "You would almost be one. As would Carson and Alicia."

Ticked off, but unwilling to show it, John changed the subject before he got even more angry. "How _is_ your shadow doing?"

Aleron smirked. "Astute. She threatens to kill me every day." Sighing, Aleron began to walk away, the Hospital depressed him especially after his time here. After bumping into the door jamb, he decided to wait for John. "Why would you put her to watch me?"

John noted that Aleron didn't explain his question, and also decided not to laugh at his clumsiness. "Oh, I've got my reasons. One is I can tell you're smart enough to ask that question."

Walking through the hallways of Atlantis, Aleron wondered what would be for lunch today. "Ah, so you're trying to counteract my 'smart' by attacking from all angles?"

Shrugging, John said. "You could say that. I've had some bad experiences with 'superior' people, and while I trust you now, you still haven't told me everything." He narrowed his eyes and turned to Aleron. "Like how Radek could possibly know you're Aulus's son."

Not responding right away, Aleron tried to remain diplomatic. "…It's not a needed information for the survival of Atlantis." He instinctively furrowed his brow, it felt different with the healing cuts on his face. "As far as how Radek could know…"

John smiled, he'd caught him finally. "Radek says Menalus tried something with him. Sounded like he tried to read his mind. Didn't work." To that, Aleron stopped in his tracks. John took an extra two steps and turned his body. "What?"

Aleron lost all amusement in his voice. "Menalus tried to join minds with Radek?" His face tensed a bit, it was a more dangerous situation that he'd realized. "Has Radek recovered enough to question?"

John was worried now. The little tête-à-tête had turned into something else. "No… he's still in and out." Taking the lead, John kept his voice low so no one would hear. "If you know something, tell me."

Aleron clenched his jaw, it was an aspect of the Olim that was private even to family. But the Atlanteans deserved to know. "What Menalus attempted was a mutated version of a 'shared' life. A joining of memory and emotions. It's our highest crime to do such a thing to an unwilling partner."

John was _really_ worried now. "Why?"

Looking around, Aleron made sure no one could hear them. "Because the sharing gives each participant the strongest feelings and memories of the other at the cost of feeling the others pain. If Menalus shared his mind with Radek…"

John's blood ran cold. "Then he knows what Radek knows…"

Unwilling to be completely depressive, Aleron nodded. "…and Radek may know more than who my father is."

John clenched his teeth, and realized that now was the time to strike. "You're gonna have to explain _exactly_ how that works."

* * *

---------- 312 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 10 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"I'm going to be leaving soon. I'm not going to live on Atlantis anymore."

Sam said nothing, Larrin had finally come see her and this wasn't exactly what she expected. The Traveler woman looked entirely different, gone was the typical casual look she sported so well, now replaced by a formal robe that made her look almost sagely.

Larrin turned to Sam as she sat in the lab she'd claimed. There were all sorts of tools and spanners lying about, as well as basic construction and measuring tools. She hadn't had time to personalize it yet. "I don't belong on the ground, and I'm not hard enough to fight a war. I'm taking Marks with me and he's going to start training our ship crews in how to fight in an organized manner."

Sam nodded gently, she'd almost been expecting this. "He'll teach you well. He's been a part of our ship building programs since the beginning." Sam finally got up, and pursed her lips before adding. "I appreciate all the support you've given me. Your people are smart and they've been great in repairing and rebuilding the city."

Larrin turned away and unemotively mused. "The city _is_ a ship… and that's all my people have ever known." She sighed softly, now letting down her aggressive stance. With a careful and calibrated move, she pulled out a stool and sat on it. "When we were in Pegasus, all that mattered was survival. Food, Air, and Maintenance. The Wraith didn't bother us unless they found us. We've never had a centralized place we lived."

Sam moved over and sat across from Larrin, a table with plans for the Hydroponic Farms on it. "I can imagine. Daniel says your people started out back during the Wraith-Lantean war. Even still have some of their databases."

Larrin nodded pedantically, it was obvious neither wanted to talk about the glaring issue. "Yeah, most of our education comes from there." They continued the small talk, a little about culture, some more about repairs to the city, and then finally ending up talking about what Larrin would do with all her stuff on Atlantis. "I'm not going to need most of my stuff. I want you and Sheppard to have it."

Sam winced, she desperately wanted to clear the air, apologize so profusely over what happened, but it just didn't feel right. There just wasn't the feeling that it would be accepted. "Are you sure?" Larrin leaving all her stuff was a final thing. Sam had seen the change in her, the normally slightly vampy woman who had been both a friend and foil at the same time was gone. What was left was… something Sam wasn't sure she liked to see.

Larrin nodded with confidence. "I'm not going to need any of it. Most of it's furniture, but you can pick out whatever clothes I leave behind. You can't wear that stuffy uniform _everywhere._"

Sam couldn't help but smile. Knowing Larrin's tastes, she likely wasn't going to be wearing much, but her friend was _still_ trying to help her fashion sense. "I'm not sure it'll fit, but thank you." She saw Larrin preparing to leave, and finally pushed through, "Larrin, if you need any…"

"I know." Larrin interrupted fast, almost as if correcting a child. Sam could see in her eyes that she didn't want to talk about it, but that the thought was appreciated and understood. Larrin still needed time alone, and right now there just wasn't anything Sam could say or do, but she also understood that it might not stay that way forever. "I know, Sam."

* * *

---------- 315 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 13 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Daniel didn't want to go to this. It brought up bad memories of so many people, and even his eventful trip through time. But for him not to go, not to show support for everyone would only further aggravate the tense situation.

He dressed appropriately, gone was his typical Atlantis Garb and now in place was something he thought was a good mix. His undershirt was a soft silk that Teyla had gotten him, a faded blue that matched his eyes. On the outside, he wore a dark Traveler leather vest, something Nevas had gotten him for the occasion. The Travelers didn't really have much formal clothing, but what they did have was old… _very_ old clothing that dated back hundreds if not thousands of years. This vest could have been worn by a Lantean for all Daniel knew.

His pants were basic in comparison to his upper clothes. Just simple slacks that the Travelers had made from repurposing all the old Atlantis jumpsuits. They'd dyed it black just to make it all standard. Daniel found it fitting.

He also found himself thinking of the Milky Way. Here in Hoag's, he'd found a new exciting, yet somehow wholesome life. Teyla was a force all her own, and Daniel had no qualms about thinking just what a strong woman she'd be without him. But they'd found something in each other, something they could both appreciate fully.

Ronon had been a bit of a shock to befriend. The Satedan was often quiet and much like Teal'c, but unlike Teal'c, Ronon looked to Daniel more often as a guiding point. The fact that Daniel had earned Ronon's trust with Teyla was probably part of that, but Daniel knew Ronon thought of him as a part of the team.

That left John. John Sheppard. In many ways he was like Jack, a strong willed soldier who led by example. But in more ways, he was different. Daniel had heard much about John, and the way John had been able to hold it all together despite war, torture, and even the loss of his closest friends attested to just how strong he was. The mere fact that Sam liked him in a professional sense was enough for Daniel to accept him, what should he think now they Sam and John were literally living together?

The fact that John had been willing to mutiny to save all these people spoke volumes to his character, and Daniel thought that maybe that's what Sam admired, Daniel sure did.

Daniel had started out seeing Sam as the compromise between himself and Jack, both a warrior and scientist alike. But Sam was more than that, she had a uniqueness to her that was both easy and difficult to love. Daniel couldn't help but think of her as a sister after all their years working together.

Did that make John his brother in law? "Daniel?"

Turning, Daniel spotted Teyla at the head of the walk-in closet. She was wearing pure settler styled clothing, an array of vivid skytone colors that complemented each other well against her darker skin that showed off her arms and neck "Teyla, where's Torren?"

Teyla moved closer and daintily began to adjust and fix Daniel's collar and shirt. "Sleeping. Since he's finished teething he's been much easier to handle." Seeing Daniel deep in thought, Teyla used one hand to cup his cheek. "What's wrong? You look…"

Daniel smiled and suggested. "Deep?"

Snorting, Teyla moved him to the side and used the full length mirror to check her own clothing out. "Not anymore."

Snickering at their easygoing relationship, Daniel snaked his arms around Teyla and sat his head on her shoulder. "I was just thinking about things. We've got a lot to do."

Turning to Daniel with her head, Teyla smiled and gave him a soft kiss. "We have time."

Daniel felt better as Teyla said it. It was true, they had all the time now to do things right from the start, and there weren't any rules holding anything back.

* * *

Kevin stood on the bridge of _Daedalus__, _his entire… no… Katana's old crew standing behind him. They had become his only in her death, a final gift to him from such a wonderful woman. There were others as well. Larrin, Daniel, Teyla. Even John and Sam had taken the time to be here for him… for the losses they'd suffered.

They weren't Travelers. Not even Larrin was herself anymore. Kevin stood perfectly still, not even sweating as the new robe Larrin had given him for the occasion hugged his body. This was a moment of pure silence and reverence, and Kevin simply pressed the button on the console.

On the screen, a series of sheet metal tubes began to float out towards the sun. It was a standard funeral for a Traveler, to be allowed to rejoin the stars in the most physical way possible. It'd take years for any of those funeral pods to reach the star, but in that time, the pain would heal.

At least that's what the tradition said, Kevin could only hope and pray. Silently, the entire group watched as a full thirty two tubes were launched, each carrying the vacuum sealed body of a man or woman who'd been born, lived, and died in space. One tube in particular stood out to him, marked out with purple stripes of paint. He'd loved the woman in that tube.

Kevin stood there for a very long time, watching the funeral procession move out into the cold bleak of space, and knew that when the time came, he'd be occupying one of those tubes as well.

* * *

**Remember to Subscribe to C2 Archive**


	2. Chapter 2

From: Kevin Marks

To: Atlantis Command Staff

Re: Supplies

Here, just like you asked Jackson.

**Current fleet Status**

**1 x **_Daedalus Class Refit - Traveler Upgraded _

**12 x **_Traveler Generational Ships_

**21 x** _Jumpers_

**20 x **_F-302 Starfighters_

**250 x **AIM-120A AMRAAM Missiles

**1 x **_F-302 "Razor" Starfighter Hybrid_

**50+ x **_Traveler Atmospheric/Orbital shuttles_

**372 x **_Drone Weapons_

**USS Daedalus - Refit: **

**32 x** 5mm 5km/s _CIWS Railgun Batteries, Both Trinium Armor Piercing and Naquadah enhanced rounds._

**4 x** _Hanger Mounted Traveler Particle Cannons_

**2 x** _Forward Mounted Asgard Pulse Cannons (modified beams for shield and armor penetration)_

**2 x** _Dorsal Mounted Asgard Beam Cannons (No modifications)_

**4 x** _Forward mounted missile Launchers_

**8 x** _Side mounted missile launchers. (4 on each side.)_

**4 x** _Rear mounted missile launchers _

**42(96) x** _Mark 4 Naquadah enhanced Trident IV missiles. Interchangable warhead_

**15(20) x** _Mark 8 Naquadah enhanced nuclear warheads._

**10(10) x** _Mark 9 "Gatebuster" Naquadria enhanced nuclear packages._

**16(24) x** _F-302 Starfighters. Five are stationed on Atlantis for Traveler study._

_Miniature Asgard Core, designed for only combat and research aspects of Asgard Core._

_Asgard Beaming Technology, Modified for mining as well.__Asgard style shields. _

_Intergalactic hyperdrive._

_Extra cargo space above hangers, encloses a Machine Ship and Laboratory._

_Skeleton Crew of 6, Current Crew of 40, full capacity now 450._

**F-302 Starfighter (Standard)**

**2 x **_2mm 5km/s nose mounted railguns._

**10 x **_Aim120a Modified AMRAAM Missiles, 6 Internal, 4 wing mounted._

_Compartment for Secondary Payload_

_3 Engines, Standard Jets, AeroSpike Booster, and Rocket Engine for Space flight._

_Single Naquadria Generator powers everything._

**F-302 Starfighter** **(Razor Modification)**

**4 x **_5mm 10Km/s wing mounted railguns, slaved fire control (Pressing the trigger will fire two shots, one from each wing)_

**1 x **_Nose Mounted Particle Cannon_

_Compartment Space for Variety of Secondary Weapons including Missiles, Bombs...etc_

_New Ion Engine which replaces Standard Jets, AeroSpike Boosters, and Rocket Engines. Much quieter and efficient._

**2 x** _Naquadria Power Generators, One for powering weapons, one for engine._

**1 x **_Naquadah Generator for on-board system controls._

**Upgraded Traveler Ships: Navras, Sobek,** **Karyan**, **Altrus**, **Nexor, Medai **

**2 x** _Forward mounted Particle Cannons_

**1 x** _Turret mounted Particle Cannons_

**4 x** _20 mm 20km/s Railguns_

_Traveler built Asgard Beaming modified for mining, Not safe for biological transporting. _

**4 x** _Atmospheric Capable "Shuttles" __Ancient derived Shields, _

_Different ships have different specifics given wear and tear._

_Skeleton Crew of 20, Current Crew of 100, maximum crew of 300_

**Standard Traveler Generational Ships: Cestus, Ferrata, Midgar, Atlantia, Neptune, Seldoon**

**2 x** _Forward mounted Particle Cannons_

**1 x** _Turret mounted Particle Cannon_

_Traveler built Asgard Beaming modified for mining, Not safe for biological transporting. _

**4 x** _Atmospheric Capable "Shuttles" __Ancient derived Shields, Different ships have different specifics given wear and tear for Hyperdrive._

_Skeleton Crew of 20, Current Crew of 100, maximum crew of 300_

**The Sobek**

At the moment, Sobek is going to remain on Atlantis, we still haven't figured out what we're going to do with it but we're considering our options.

Don't bother me again unless it's important.

* * *

---------- 320 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 18 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"I've made my decisions, all the other captains are with me."

Daniel tapped his fingers on the table. It was difficult to think of what to say. "Can I assume we'll know where you are and what you're doing?"

In full Traveler Formalwear that Larrin had given him, looking like a Lantean except with a darker outer robe and regal purples underneath, Kevin nodded to Daniel who sat in his new office next to the control room. "Of the twelve ships left, _Sobek_ is getting decommissioned for spare parts. No Traveler wants to serve on it after what happened. _Daedalus, Navras, Alenko _and _Medai_ are going to be patrolling the nearby non-gated planets and setting up relay stations while ground pounders'll do the same to the gated ones. This'll give us a small warning bubble around this system in case we get more Shade or Olim following us."

Nodding in agreement, Daniel said. "That's a good idea. But what about the rest?"

Kevin shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. "They'll stay in orbit for now, most of them don't have railguns and we still haven't gotten back to our level of manufacturing before the invasion. Once they get refitted, we'll see what to do then."

"Yeah I know… Sam's been spending every day working on the city since we've only got a few months supply at best." Daniel could see that Kevin wasn't in the best of moods and decided to get right to the point. "What are you plans for dealing with the Olim?"

Kevin turned back to Daniel with a little surprise. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

A little stunned at the question, Kevin was just as blunt. "We know where some of their planets are. But we don't know how much ancestral technology they have that they're hiding."

Daniel caught Kevin's wording. "_Ancestral?_ Don't you mean Ancient?"

Kevin narrowed his eyes. "Not when you deal with Travelers all day long."'

Daniel had heard that Kevin had changed, Sam told him, John told him and even Teyla had mentioned it. Daniel wasn't so sure of that until now. "So... what's the plan?"

Kevin flexed his fists and his posture stiffened a bit, Daniel could tell he was repressing his anger and stayed non-aggressive. "Their regular people, The ones who don't fight us, I've got no business with them. But I'm going to find Menalus, and I'm going to bring him here so he can pay for what he's done." With that, Kevin turned and began to leave the office.

Daniel couldn't help it and called out. "And how's he going to pay?"

Kevin snorted in disgust as he replied and stormed off. "What do you _think_?"

* * *

---------- 321 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 19 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"Sammie? You called?" Mila walked into the lab, curious as to why she'd been summoned. She didn't see anyone around. "Hello?"

"Hey!" From below what looked to be a series of pipes, Sam emerged wearing an old techs jumpsuit. She had a few smears of grease on her skin, and her hair was tied back into a bun. "Good! You came."

Mila looked around the lab, things were relatively in order, especially considering all the work that was done in here. It certainly looked better than her own engine room. "Uhh yeah. I was getting a few last thing I'll need on _Daedalus._ Setting out tomorrow after we say goodbye to _Sobek." _Mila looked curiously at the series of large white pipes. "What's that?"

Sam pulled a rag from her pocket and cleaned her hands as she replied. "Hydroponics. Pretty simple really, I'm trying to maximize production by…" Seeing that Mila was less than interested, Sam chuckled and tossed the rag onto a nearby lab table. "I'm making it more efficient. That's not why I called you down though."

Mila was uncharacteristically quiet. "Oh?" She had her hands hooked in her pockets, obviously still dejected.

But that's exactly why Sam had called her down. Once she was relatively clean, Sam smiled softly motioned with her head out towards the hallway. "Yeah, follow me."

Mila raised an eyebrow, but waiting for Sam to take the lead, she followed. Her posture was sunken, and Sam noticed that the smile Mila usually had was replaced by a non-expressive face. She was dressed in the typical dark colors of the Travelers, but unlike the browns she usually wore, her top was black and muted. Her long blond hair was also tied back into a bun, much like Sam's at the moment. Hopefully this would change that.

It was a quiet little walk, only down the hallway. Sam entered the darkened room and motioned for Mila with her hand. "Come on."

Mila was now curious, was Sam leading her into a trap? After discussing surprise parties with Chuck, she could almost be ready for one.

Instead, Sam simply turned on the lights revealing a fully stocked lab and workshop. She turned to Mila and smiled. "Welcome to your lab."

Eyebrows raised, Mila looked around in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Sam shook her head idly and waved to it all. "It's all yours. I talked to Daniel and got it all set up. Up until now you've just been helping us out with our projects when you're not on _Daedalus._ But no more. Whenever you're here, you can work on any project you want as long as it doesn't tie up needed resources, or if you have a great idea that'll help everyone, we'll get you some staff to assist you. You're in charge of this lab now."

It finally registered, Mila was being given a huge responsibility. She looked at Sam for a few moments, scanning for any deceit, but couldn't find any. "Really?"

Sam nodded, and sighed. "When I was your age, I would have _killed_ for a lab like this. I'm so jealous of you I can't even put it into words." She coyly smirked and deadpanned. "Just keep it clean. You don't wanna lose any more eyebrows to accidental fires."

Mila couldn't resist, she chuckled a bit and covered her mouth in shock. She'd been accepted and welcomed, she was a part of their team.

* * *

---------- 322 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 20 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

The sounds of Banto Rods crashing against each other in the private gym would have led one to believe there was a mechanical problem inside, but in the light dust and warm air, nobody was around to hear it.

"Yer rusty."

John ducked and dodged out of the way of Ronon's Banto Rod, It'd been awhile since sparring with the Satedan and now, he realized just how much he missed it. "That's why I asked ya to come!" Parrying Ronon's blows, John showed remarkable control and discipline as he ignored potential attacks and concentrated on a stalemate. "I want you to take over."

Ronon growled and spun around, angered that John wasn't letting him get a strike in, but at the same time, not really fighting back either. That wasn't like John, John usually struck out instead of countered. He held John's banto rod between his own and flung him back. "Why?"

Blocking Ronon's strike, John leapt back to avoid the counter, _God_ he missed this. "Not my kinda job!"

Going on the offensive, Ronon easily smashed through John's defenses forcing the tall earth born human back. "Bull, you think it's _mine?"_

John was up against the wall now, He knew there was no way he could win against Ronon unless he fought dirty, so John feinted in one direction and pushed himself off the wall. "In this case? Yeah!"

Ronon wasn't confused from the obvious fake out, and swung his Banto Rod at John, it was a miss, but the hardened wooden stick left a dent in the thin sheet metal of the bench it hit. "Explain!"

John had some space now, so he looked around for an advantage. There was a towel rack nearby with some sweaty towels, a little confusion and he might actually win. "Daniel wants Military and Civilians to be separate, he…" Just as he edged out towards the towel rack, he felt his foot go flying. Ronon had _thrown_ a Banto Rod and nailed him in the calf instantly and crippling him, albeit temporarily. John fell to the floor unceremoniously and before he knew it, Ronon's other Banto Rod was at his throat. "…Ow. Thanks."

Ronon grunted and moved the rod to John's hand so he could pull himself up. "I'll kick your ass any day."

Standing up, John stretched his foot. _Damn, that smarts. _"That's my point. I might be career soldier, but you've got the vibe." John limped over to the bench and picked up his towel to dry himself off of the sweat. "Daniel wants civvies and soldiers to be different. I _could_ train them, but you could do it _better."_

Ronon remained silent, but the growl in his throat was menacing. Obviously he was thinking it over. "It won't be easy, Traveler Security are pathetic. Just bullies with big guns. You just made them stronger and a little faster, not smarter."

John nodded, and caught his breath from the fight. "I could do it. I know I could. But I've been working it out with Daniel and Sam and I'm a better _team_ leader than I am a military leader." He looked up at Ronon. "You've been fighting all your life. You _know_ what's wrong here. You _know_ how to teach these people to fight the Shade and Olim and _protect_ Atlantis. Let me and Sam deal with the rest, we'll handle recon teams, research, weapons development and exploring. Sam's sure that there's more ancient tech out there and we need to find it." Sighing, John bowed his head. "But we need to know Atlantis is safe while we do that, and we need a _real_ military for that. A Military that isn't meant for exploration or simple recon." John looked up at Ronon and said in all seriousness. "A military that can kill without compassion."

Ronon stayed silent for a long time, He moved over to the basket where several dry towels were and pulled one out. Running his hand through his lengthening hair, he wondered about a lot of things going on in the city. Truly it was becoming a city what with all the diverse people in it.

There were still issues bothering Ronon, but those were all personal. Nothing that mattered to anyone else in the end. Ronon saw the pure and simple logic and finally had an answer. "One condition."

"Name it."

Turning to John, Ronon had a hint of a smirk. "I get to be a General."

* * *

---------- 325 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 23 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"I'm sorry… with everyone still trying to get some sense of order around here, I can't have the people I know I can trust go off, even if it's just to orbit."

Sam relented, though Daniel's answer did depress her. "It's just a space station, Daniel. It's not like we're going to raid the Lucian Alliance or scout out the Ori. There might even be information on the Ancients who came here for all we know."

On the balcony outside the control room, Daniel groaned softly and turned to Sam who seemed a bit more cheerful than he'd seen her the past few months. "You get points for attacking my weakness, but I need you here first. I don't know how to administrate this place. I know I'm supposedly the prime minister but I feel like Jim Hacker!"

Sam turned from her leaning over position on the railing and raised an eyebrow. "Jim Hacker? Who's that?"

Daniel blinked a few times, and then shook his head. "Right… American. Jim Hacker was the Minister for Administrative Affairs in the British political sitcom "Yes, Minister" and later "Yes, Prime Minister". He started out well intentioned and somewhat naïve, but ended up becoming a little jaded and willing to bend the rules to get the job done."

Sam smiled coyly. "Gee, I wonder who that reminds me of."

Daniel harrumphed and turned back to breath the somewhat fresh air of the planet. "I sure feel like him right now. It's not paranoia if everyone's truly against me. That's why I need you, Teyla, John and the rest to stick around for now. I don't want a night of the long knives."

Sam grimaced and put her arm around Daniel. "They're that bad huh?"

"Worse, You can't get them to agree on anything, and when you offer a compromise, they say it's not enough or it's racist or favoring the other side. It's like trying to get Jack to go to an archeology dig without a yo yo or something."

Snorting softly, Sam squeezed Daniel's shoulder sympathetically. "Remember the virtual reality simulator we put Teal'c in?"

Daniel did indeed remember and put his own arm around Sam. "Yeah. Matrix." He sighed softly and said. "I miss them."

Sam nodded, "I miss them too."

* * *

---------- 332 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 30 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Dan watched as Aleron expertly reloaded the P90 on the ground from his perch fifty feet above the obstacle course, with Alicia next to him supervising. It was a secluded place and they could talk without any interruptions.

Aleron moved ahead in the obstacle course Ronon had set up, his first time through the course with live ammunition. "He doesn't seem that bad, Maybe a little weird, but it's not like he's been around us for long."

Alicia huffed in annoyance, this dressed up obstacle course wasn't exactly what she was expecting, the area between the piers and the inner city had always been of little use, but evidently, Ronon liked the wide open space. "You haven't talked to him. He's… _different._ Arrogant Cyclops… You heard about Larrin, right?"

Dan watched in the binoculars as Aleron popped up, fired off a few shots nailing the paper Wraith target, and then turned and deftly dodged a wooden log set up as an obstacle. Impressed, Dan answered Alicia's question. "Depends whether I believe rumors or not."

Alicia snarled irritatedly seeing Aleron dodge incoming traps and stationary obstacles as he ran and jumped; ever since losing his eye, he'd been disoriented and constantly walking into things. It was one of the few things that kept her amused and sane about babysitting him, so seeing him suddenly become DareDevil was more than annoying.

Even more, John's orders to have Aleron trained in their basic weaponry and tactics had led to spending _even more_ time with the Olim. Alicia huffed and turned to Dan. "What have you heard?"

Cracking his jaw, Dan replied sotto voce. "Different things… tortured… had her mind read…" he hesitated a second. "…stuff you'd only hear about in the worst places on Earth."

Alicia nodded, and seeing Aleron look around, seemingly doing more with his other senses than vision, deftly dodged a blunted banto rod trap. "That's just it. To him, it wasn't a surprise. He _expected_ her to come back like that. Daniel told him about how back on Earth they experiment with monkeys and pigs because they're similar biologically to us… that's how the Olim see us."

Dan noted how Aleron seemed to be able to sense the traps around him. None would have really hurt him, but he still managed to get past the tricky part of the course. "I'm not surprised. Look at the Ori, you fought them didn't you?"

Alicia hesitated. "…Yeah."

Noting her hesitation, Dan turned to face her. "What?"

Biting her lip, Alicia looked down to Aleron. "They're similar. Think about it. The Olim were on a holy war and you and I both know what it's like to fight fanatics."

Dan didn't say anything for a few moments, but watched as Aleron spun around and put a burst of P90 fire dead center into the last target, ending the small obstacle course. Finally he said. "Kill em all. Let their gods sort em out.."

Aleron turned and looked up at Dan and Alicia, both hidden behind a pane of bullet proof glass. He'd passed their tests so far, and now he was wondering what was going to happen to him.

* * *

---------- 335 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 33 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"Just about ready but uhh..."

Kevin turned to Nevas and nodded. "What?"

Nevas sighed, this was always a huge pain for his people, and he was glad all the Captains and even the EarthBorn had come. John and Sam both stood nearby, supporting him. He wasn't keen to admit it, but Kevin knew they'd help him no matter what.

Laura and Nevas had taken care of the ceremony itself, both standing in front of him and to the side. They'd been a help as well and Kevin was glad to know them.

Even Chuck had showed up, Reyna and Rafaela both standing by him and being oddly reverent. It seemed even the playful Canadian technician had understood what this meant, and Kevin truly appreciated that.

The pier was an odd place for a ceremony like this, typically it would happen in space. "We've got almost all the names on there… it's just…" Nevas hesitated a second, then just went for broke. "Typically, the dead's nearest family would write the name… and I know technically you and her were never joined but…"

Kevin took a second to think about it, it was all the time he needed. "Gimme the torch."

Nevas silently handed the small plasma welder to Kevin. The now bearded Colonel sighed, and thought about this tradition.

The Travelers had lost many ships in the last ten thousand years, almost always to catastrophic failure or wraith or just plain 'lost'. It was rare that a ship survived long enough to be worth less than the spare parts. Given Atlantis though, and the fact that no one wanted to think about the _Sobek's_ last flight, it was being put to rest.

Kevin thought about how it would have normally gone down for the Travelers. They would have taken all the usable parts they could off the ship, then steer it into the sun, just like they did bodies. It was a remarkably fitting end.

That wasn't how _Sobek_ was going to end though, the majority of it would get melted down and reforged as walls, armor plating, maybe even bullets. Nothing could go to waste even with their modified Asgard mining beam technology.

That didn't mean _Sobek_ would be forgotten though, and in a majority vote, this single slice of the armor plating on the craft, only about a meter in diameter once it would be cut off, would forever have the names of the dead crewmembers of the ship etched on it.

Kevin walked up to the plate and began to cut with the torch. The metal was thick and drops of it fell as the plasma melted a thing strip through it. Behind him, he saw everyone looking at him as he put the last name on the hull.

He'd put it above the others, as was her right as Captain. Atlantis would forever remember the attempted Olim invasion of May 9th 2009 by Earth's Calendar when this single piece of the _Sobek's_ hull was placed as a memorial in the gate room.

He finished the weld and shut off the torch, the name still sizzling and red hot. Kevin read it to himself one last time, and turned around to face Larrin who'd been standing behind him the whole time. She nodded softly to him, giving sympathy, but also signaling her rage.

_Sobek_ was no longer a Traveler ship, but there were still eleven more and Kevin had a lot of training to pass onto them.

* * *

**Remember to Subscribe to C2 Archive**


	3. Chapter 3

From: John Sheppard

To: Atlantis Command Staff

Re: Supplies

So Daniel asked me to give an inventory of what we've got left in our armory. I did a quick count, and here're the numbers.

**13 x** FN SCAR-H (includes SOPMOD kits and L Barrel variant, several have been lost on Jumpers and in battle.)  
**15 x** Underbarrel Grenade Launcher (FN40GL)  
**43 x** FN P90 (Includes Rail Kits)  
**20 x** M249 SAW  
**25 x** M4 Carbines  
**200 x** Particle Magnum Energy Pistol  
**40 x** Traveler Atlantean Particle Rifle (TAPpeR)  
**40 x** Wraith Stun Pistols  
**20 x** Wraith Stunner Rifles (Seriously, why use them? you're more likely to stab yourself then hit your opponent)  
**0 x** AT-4CS 84mm Soft Launch Anti- Tank Rocket Launchers (Used up when fleeing Shade in hyperspace.)  
**47 x** FIM-92b Stinger Anti-Air Missile Launchers  
**4 x** FGM-148 Javelin Anti-Tank Missile Systems  
**7 x** Javelin missiles  
**20 x** Benelli M4 Super 90 Shotgun  
Assorted Shotgun Ammunition  
**50 x** Mk 23 Socom .45 ACP  
**50 x** Sig Sauer P229 (.357 and .40)

With a manufacturing base, we can reproduce more particle weapons and bullets, but we can't make anymore AT-4s. Maybe a Javelin if we use some techno dealy to replicate it but don't ask me, ask Sam. I do know she's got plans for modifications and such but yo'ud have to ask her.

*Note from Sam – We can reproduce any of our weapons given they've been under an ancient scanner. We have plans but at the moment, not the ability to do so. All weapons are being stored under lock and guard until we have more stability in the city.

* * *

---------- 336 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 34 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Rafaela watched as Reyna injected the strange fluid into the recycling system of the water for the hydroponics system. "So this gets rid of radiation?"

Reyna nodded and finished injecting the syringe. She blew a long sigh that moved her longish hair out of her face. "It'll bond to radioactive particles in the water and cause it to clot. Don't wanna eat any of it as it's not meant for consumption. We have quite a bit of it as well, but we're going to have to work on getting the medical labs up and running as soon as possible."

With the water being pulled up from the Arean ocean, Rafaela sighed as she thought about all the work that still needed to get done. "That's a few months away at best. We're still devoting most of our time to these farms and we still haven't finished cleaning up D7 and 6." She let out a small groan and sat back on the floor of the maintenance shaft. Reyna sat down too across from her and looked sympathetic. "It just never seems to end. I wish I could just take a nice long break but I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

Reyna nodded softly, this whole mess had been getting less and less tangled, but everyone was still feeling down. "Well… me and Alicia were going to see if we can get a little party going on one of the piers. I think it's good for people to try and have fun again." She smiled and added. "I think Dan's coming too so…"

Rafaela instantly became cold, she'd been smiling and obviously interested in the party up until mention of the Serbian Marine captain. She pushed herself up and began to stretch. "Nah… that's okay. I think… I think I'll just try and get some sleep."

Reyna said nothing, but watched as Rafaela climbed out of the maintenance tube and walked away. Something had happened, only an idiot couldn't see it.

* * *

---------- 342 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 40 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"Janny… how'd you do this?" Reyna asked the question, but she already knew. One didn't ask a doctor to come to one's quarters without the cause being less than normal.

Bashfully, Presjan turned away and sighed. "I uhh… I think I pulled a muscle." Shifting on the bed with his back in an awkward position, Presjan ducked the question.

Reyna sighed and moved forward with her little kit from the doorway which closed behind her. She'd been off-duty and getting ready to go to bed, but if it was serious enough for Presjan to actually privately call her on the city's communication's relay… "_How. Did. You. Do. This?" _She hoped the blunt question would elicit a better response. Presjan was always sneaky.

Allowing Reyna to come closer, and then presenting his hurt side to her, Presjan finally replied. "Deadlifting…"

Reyna gave a small and obviously irritated snort. "I _told_ you not to do that. I _gave_ you a plan that Sheppard approved. You can't force things like this Janny, you'll just hurt yourself."

Presjan winced as Reyna gingerly touched his side, definitely he'd strained a muscle and possibly damaged a disc in his back. "I have to get stronger Rey… I have to."

He'd been saying this for weeks now, going to the gym any chance he could, even going so far as to walking up to Ronon and demanding for training. When the Satedan had approved, Reyna had almost snapped a gasket. "Why?" She continued to gently ask the question. Presjan had never been one to hold up to scrutiny well.

"Because I'm going to join Ronon's soldiers. I'm going to get strong enough to defend us."

Coming from Presjan, Reyna figured he might as well say he wanted to become a Wraith for all the sense it made. "Tell me you're not serious. Janny, you've always been a techhead, for ancestors sake, you were _born_ in an engine room!" it was true, and Reyna had often teased him over it in their youth.

Presjan chuckled once, and bit his lip as Reyna pushed him onto his side in order to get a decent scan of the injury. "Maybe… but I have to do this Reyna. I need you to help me."

Reyna didn't reply, instead she just did her job. She quickly found that Presjan had just twisted a muscle. A quick relaxant injection, some massage, and he'd be fine. Neither of them said anything as she worked silently, using her hands to treat her long time friend.

Finally, when Presjan could feel his growing muscles relax and cease to hurt. He looked at Reyna and softly said. "Thank you…"

Having had more than enough, Reyna laid it out for him. "Janny. I swear to ascended ancestors, if you don't tell me _exactly_ why you're doing this, I'm going to _kick_ your ass so hard you won't be able to train and hurt yourself again. At least then I'd get some entertainment out of your pain." She said it with a serious tone, and at the mention of his pain, she played up the emotional card.

Presjan could see that she was serious, and turning away he didn't reply.

When she saw him turn, Reyna began to pack her things. "Fine, I'm taking you off active duty and putting you on psych leave."

Presjan turned to her curiously. "What? Psych leave?"

Realizing that she was using earth terms again from having worked with Carson, Reyna put it in layman's. "You're _crazy,_ Janny. And I'm locking you in your quarters until I'm convinced you're not."

As she got up and began to walk away, she wasn't surprised when Presjan called out. "Wait!"

It was all working to plan. Reyna turned and barked. "Then tell me! What the hell happened?! Why is everyone we rescued from the Olim acting so strange!? Why are you suddenly so worried about being a soldier!?"

Just as angrily, Presjan shot out of the bed and barked back. "Because I was _too weak_ to fight them, because I tried to be strong and failed before this all happened, and _because when I said I wouldn't help them with the potentia,_ _they nailed Katana to the wall!"_ His screams broke down as he recalled the incident, and his teeth chattered from the seeping out emotions. _"…because… because…"_ Overcome, Presjan fell to his knees and rubbed his face.

Finally some truth, but it was nothing new, Reyna already knew from the others that the Olim had indeed coerced help from the scared prisoners with… less than civilized threats. None of them were soldiers, none of them were prepared for brutality on that level. All Reyna wanted to do was get Presjan to admit it and come to grips.

Reyna set her kit down on the table and moved over to hug her old friend. She held him and rocked back and forth as they both knelt on the floor, Presjan sobbed softly, holding onto Reyna as if she were a buoy in a storm. She whispered softly as she rubbed his back and shoulders. "_Do you want me to stay?"_

Presjan nodded, and his voice quavered. "_Would you?"_

_"Of course… don't be silly." _Picking him up off the floor, Reyna walked him back over to the bed and set him down. They'd been here before, but never with this level of emotion. Their encounters had always been more physical than anything else, but Reyna wasn't about to deny her friend comfort.

Setting him down gently, she took her outer shirt off and pulled his head close. Maybe the hormonal response he'd get from her actions would help calm him down.

Presjan finally stopped sobbing, and he whispered softly. "Will you help me, Rey? To be a soldier?"

Reyna sighed softly and cradled his head.. "Of course, but why?"

Hugging her tighter, Presjan buried his face into her. "_Because I helped those monsters."_

* * *

---------- 345 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 43 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Leaving John's new larger and yet more open office, Aleron turned his head to Alicia. "Cheer up, would you? You're making me nervous."

Alicia checked her growl and made sure to keep her particle magnum strapped to her hip. "_Good!"_

Aleron chuckled and stretched his arms. It was a little sad that he'd lost his Achillus armor, and he still had some trouble walking around without bumping into things, but Sheppard's latest suggestion had given him more than enough amusement to offset it. "Well, if we're going to be teammates, then I think perhaps we should move beyond threatening to kill each other."

Alicia turned and shook her finger at him as she spoke rather tersely. "The _only_ reason I'm even _considering_ this is because John trusts you. If it were up to _me_, You'dve told me _everything_ you know about the Olim a _long_ time ago." She snarled the last bit. "Get this clear. You are _not_ my teammate. You are someone whom I've been _ordered_ to work with."

Aleron remained smiling. He'd discussed this with Sheppard and found that the Colonel had an interesting way of dealing with his subordinates. Aleron didn't mind though, this was quite entertaining.

Sheppard's idea to include him in their exploration of the galaxy due to his native status wasn't too surprising to Aleron, it was pure and simple logic that Aleron might know something that the Atlanteans didn't. Having had a long and hard talk with Sheppard over what qualified as a 'need to know' fact, Aleron agreed to tell them anything they asked as soon as they _needed to know._

Sheppard wasn't too happy about that, but there wasn't much he could do besides torture Aleron, and Aleron knew the Atlanteans... at least those in charge, were too soft for that. It wasn't a failing, merely a difference in culture and desperation. "Yes, about that. Sheppard did tell you to train me on your more exotic weapons and craft."

Still shaking with rage, Alicia clenched her fist and teeth, and finally spat back. _"Fine. _Hopefully that _eye_ of yours won't mess things up."

A little wounded by the low blow, Aleron muttered to her with a less friendly tone. "_Apudne te vel me?_"

"Huh? Speak English." Alicia was annoyed that Aleron would occasionally dip into his native latinesque language. Didn't the Stargate deal with that?

Aleron was again amused. "Lead on."

Alicia made a mental note to check with Daniel what Aleron said… something told her she wouldn't like it.

* * *

---------- 349 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 47 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"Dan… what'd you do to Rafaela?"

Dan turned to Reyna, they'd both been drinking and watching "Training Day" as Dan tried to give her an idea of what it was like living in the states with drugs all around. "What do you mean?"

After her night with Presjan, Reyna had been coming to understand what had happened between Rafaela and Dan. She'd only been able to extract one bit of information out of her scientifically minded friend, and she used it now. "You two've been avoiding each other. Ever since _Daedalus_. I could just assume you two had sex and are embarrassed, but I don't think I've _ever_ seen you embarrassed so what gives?"

Dan wasn't surprised at Reyna's deduction, or her blunt words. The youngish doctor didn't mince them. "We had a fight. She tried to use me and I set her straight. If she hates me for that, then so be it."

Reyna was a little confused, but she'd been coming to see a parallel in all these things happening on Atlantis. Dan was a strong center, a pillar in the midst of a sandstorm. His easy going nature and lack of shame was something that people would look up and aspire to be like. Presjan had been idolizing Dan, but Reyna didn't think Dan or Presjan understood the ramifications of that. "So you're saying you did something to her that hurt her… but it wasn't meant to?"

Dan scoffed softly. If anyone could hear his conversations with Reyna they'd think they were insane. "Oh no, it was meant to hurt. You can only grow through pain."

Reyna raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you want her to _grow?"_

Dan shrugged. "I'm not the one avoiding her. If she doesn't want to deal with things, that's her problem. My job is follow the chain of command, and shoot whatever they tell me to shoot. If I can't handle my personal life, then how the fuck am I supposed to handle it when Shade or Olim sons of bitches come knockin'?"

Reyna now understood. Dan was putting his peculiar and jaded point of view to the scrutiny of all of life. "She's stronger now. I think maybe you were right, but you didn't have to hurt her so bad."

Turning back to the movie, Dan tried to push the issue aside. "Maybe, but watch. This is the only movie with Denzel I like."

He was trying to appease her, Reyna _hated_ when people did that. "Don't dodge me, I'm not your friend for you to ignore."

To her surprise, Dan turned to her with an equally annoyed face. "And she's my friend to use me? Just throw me around like some tissue paper?"

Now Reyna understood. But she didn't _say_ she understood. "Maybe. Maybe not, but that's what friends are for aren't they? To help each other?"

Dan shrugged smugly. "Well like you said, she's stronger now."

The conversation/argument stopped there, and Reyna turned back to the TV. "Fair enough. Now can't we watch something else? I'm tired of all this mindless violence. Put something funny on."

Dan smirked. His and Reyna's friendship was the stuff of legends, neither was embarrassed at all and would tell each other anything, but the lack of any real tension between them made for the perfect camaraderie. "Funny as in Chappelle? Or funny as in Bugs Bunny?"

Reyna smiled, she _adored_ the comical rabbit. "Bugs Bunny. I don't get Chappelle."

Dan relented. Dave Chappelle's humor was godly to him, but it was an acquired taste. "You know Chappelle said _his _hero was Bugs Bunny."

"Maybe if Bugs Bunny was a sex crazed rabbit on muscle relaxants."

Laughing out loud, Dan picked out a new movie from the networked database Chuck had set up. "A'ight, Rush Hour it is. You'll love it, trust me."

Reyna reached over to the bowl of popcorn facsimile and shifted over to rest on Dan's shoulder. They'd spent a few nights like this already, what with Alicia always busy, Rafaela avoiding Dan and… Well… focusing on Dusty just made things sad, so Reyna instead focused on the movie.

Being here just having fun with Dan felt safe, maybe that's what Rafaela had been after, but just didn't understand the limits. Reyna had no issues sleeping in the same room, even cuddled up to the man on a sofa, but she'd drawn her line and Dan had agreed. So they were friends and never had any issues between them. Maybe she'd spent a few more nights with Dan or on the odd occasion Alicia than before the Olim Invasion, but Reyna clearly understood that it was a coping mechanism, something to keep her going.

She still hadn't cried over the deaths she'd witnessed, or even the fact that every day she went to the hospital, she was helping people get used to prosthetics or doing physiotherapy. Maybe she wasn't going to cry, but right now, it was time to laugh. This would be her first Jackie Chan Movie, but by the end of it, she'd sworn it wouldn't be her last.

* * *

**Remember to Subscribe to C2 Archive**


	4. Chapter 4

From: Samantha Carter and Reyna Arius

To: Atlantis Command Staff

Re: Supplies

(Note from Chuck: Hey people, Listen to Sam. She's smart. She can blow up stars. I'm not kidding.)

Given that we now have all Pegasus natives here on Atlantis, we're going to have to stretch our supplies as long as possible. Atlantis has a reservoir of potable water that could easily accommodate us for the next year with no issue, but the water on this planet is mildly radioactive.

Even more, some quick testing has proven that a nuclear event did occur on this planet that annihilated the ecosystem. How this single ocean survived is beyond me, and even more, how plant and animal life can survive on the mainland next to the water. The biggest problem is that the radiation would slowly accumulate in our systems, a death by a thousand needle pricks as it were. _*Note from Chuck, Nibbled to death by cats. That is all.*_

We can decontaminate the water if necessary, and I've already discussed it with Reyna. The Travelers have anti-radiation technology but for radioactive particulate, it's a little more complicated. Basically if we want to get this hydroponic farm going, it'd be nice not to have to clean it of radioactive particles. Teams are being planned along with the MALPs we have left to serve as cargo wagons for scavenging food and water from planets we know are safe.

On that note, the Hydroponic farms are looking to be relatively quick to set up. Most rooms in Atlantis already have water available, and with some modifications, can be supplied with the mineral ions needed for plant growth. At the estimated rate of crop yield, we could potentially feed even triple our current population count if we can maintain the supply of minerals and nutrients in the water. More if we can use more advanced techniques in the hydro gear.

In the meantime though, we're going to have to scavenge what's left from the Settlers' old planets. We can last a month with rationing with our current supplies, and it's going to take that long to plant our first crop. Not to mention lack of protein or soluble fats in the majority of vegetables as we're low on meat and other essentials. _*Note from Chuck: She means Chocolate, but she'd kill me if I said it out loud ;P*_

Reyna's here helping me with this for those of you wondering where I came up with these figures. Because of that, a large section of area around the hydroponic farms will also be converted into pasture ground… this is a little more problematic than it sounds, as we literally need to bring in soil and keep it fertilized.

We _could_ grow hay using the Hydroponics, but in order to maintain a good buffer in case of problems, the pasture grounds is a more sound idea in our case. (also, the animals would be more comfortable in familiar surroundings) I am personally going to oversee and spearhead the hydroponics farms and pasture growth myself, as well as setting up a safe area for people to settle down without risk of any Lantean technology bothering them. And yes, while most of the technology in the city is relatively safe, there are still a dozen and a hundred ways to injure or even kill yourself if you mess around with something you don't know. Sorry to sound so depressing but I really don't want to see anyone get hurt because I didn't give a strong enough warning. If you're curious about something, please ask. It may take awhile to get the answer but the more you learn, the less you'll have to ask.

Once this is finished, there are several other projects that would be beneficial to Atlantis which Radek Zelenka has proposed. These include actual physical buildings on Atlantis such as a nanite assisted foundry, a manufacturing plant for everyday items like clothing and furniture, and a space dock designed specifically for a high volume of ships from the shuttles and Jumpers for every day use, to potentially other ships.

I know some of you are going to be hesitant about the Nanite Assisted factory, but Radek has devoted an extreme amount of time and actually come up with a solution that should appease everyone. Instead of the Nanites forming replicators and reproducing, which we all know is much more trouble then it's worth, the Nanites would act as individuals in a group, rearranging the molecules of whatever we feed into it. Think of it as forging metals and alloys on a molecular level. There is no replication being done at all, the Nanites instead physically bond the molecules to each other in a stronger allotrope. Think of the difference between Diamonds and Graphite, both are made of the element Carbon, but while one is sharp enough to cut glass, the other is so soft it's used as a writing tool.

This will allow us to build super dense materials for repairing the city, high strength ballistics armor, even potential ship construction. This is an intensive process that takes a very long time at higher densities so in addition, the foundry will have a 'manual' section devoted to large scale development of certain lower grade items we all need. (e.g. Cooking Utensils, Farming Equipment, etc etc…)

On that note, as far as the rumors that Radek has designed a ship incorporating several of our technologies, let's just worry about feeding ourselves before we get into the nitty gritty.

Sam and Rey.

* * *

---------- 352 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 50 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"That's something I _never_ thought I'd see."

Sam smirked and repressed her giggles. "Not a farm boy, huh?"

John watched from up in the control room next to Sam as Chuck tried to organize the chaos of the settlers who'd gone back to their old colonized planets to bring back their furniture… and livestock. "Even Cam probably _never_ saw a rainbow colored cow before."

Glad to have taken this break to spend some time with John outside of their typical meal hours, Sam looked over to Daniel who also sat and watched in amazement. "Remember M7H-T2B?"

Daniel visibly shuddered and turned to Sam. "I thought we agreed never to talk about that again."

John instantly caught on and gave Daniel a light shove on the shoulder. "Aw come on Jackson, what happened? Sam's gonna tell me anyway so you might as well do it in your own words."

Looking at Sam, Daniel realized that it was true, and sighed in dejection. "Great. You do realize that even though he's half a billion light years away, Jack is gonna laugh his ass off?" Sam simply laughed and nodded. Daniel turned to John and said it matter of factly. "I got married… _to a cow_."

John stifled his snort, _nothing_ like _that_ had ever happened to him. "What the!? Marriedto a _cow!?_ How's that work?"

A few of the technicians in the room turned at John's louder than necessary words, Sam snickered evilly and continued to work on her console, gauging how much livestock the pasture grounds they'd transplanted from the old Settler planets could sustain.

Daniel gave John a stink eye and growled softly under his breath. "_Keep it down! _Jesus… it was stupid. I managed to broker some treaty where we'd teach them about irrigation to increase their crop yield in exchange for mining rights and they… _gave me_ their prize sow."

Sam chipped in cheerfully. "Actually, they specifically said that he was supposed to treat it like his wife, as their animals gave them their livelihood and it'd be an insult if he didn't." She grinned deviously and turned to the two men, one blushing and the other stifling his laughs. "It was a great wedding, lots of food and dancing. Even this beautiful ceremony where they walked ol' Bessie around the fire with Daniel on the other side. They put these flowery leis around them both and got Daniel to ride it through the gate."

Daniel groaned, obviously displeased with the memory. "I'll never forget General Hammond's face. Jack was leading this cow through the gate with a big old shit eating grin. Sam's biting her thumb to keep from laughing and whenever I looked at Teal'c…" Daniel closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "…Believe me. That man says more with his face in a look than an Auctioneer can with his mouth in a week."

John simply chuckled, he had his own stories of the most ridiculous stuff happening to him and his team, but with Rodney long gone, he found it better to just cherish these moments with his friends and wait till Teyla and Ronon were around to corroborate the evidence.

* * *

---------- 360 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 58 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

There were dozens of them, enough people that Ronon could probably legally call them an army. "They're weak."

Beside him, John and Daniel both watched as Dan, Alicia and Laura all took their names and assigned them service numbers. John spoke smoothly. "Well… that's what you're supposed to fix. Sam's set up a few towers and areas to train them properly, and once we get that foundry up and ready, ammo's no problem."

Daniel scratched his nose and sighed. "I do wonder though, do any of them know what they're signing up for?"

Ronon smiled, he'd spent his entire life training to fight. With the logistical support of the entire city, and the few EarthBorn soldiers left as lieutenants, this was going to work out _very_ nicely, and none of them were going to come out the same as they came in. "No one ever do."

* * *

---------- 364 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 61 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

"I don't like it."

Neither John nor Daniel saw any way of convincing Ronon otherwise, so they just decided to try and put all the facts on the table. "It's not like they're walking around and sticking their hands in people's heads. Think of it like putting them to work."

In Daniel's still somewhat new office in the control room, Ronon turned to them both and gruffly said. "Nanites. You _both_ know how bad they are."

Daniel huffed and sighed. "You don't have to tell me twice. I can't even watch Terminator 2 without getting a little anxious." Seeing John give him a confused look, and Ronon the typical snarl, Daniel held up his hands. "Look, I don't like it much either. But I trust Sam and from what she's told me, this is about as safe as playing with kittens."

John shrugged as he sat on the sofa to the side and deadpanned. "Kittens can scratch."

Ronon smirked at the assistance. "Exactly. I don't see any good outta this. I say we get rid of that nanite machine and just forget they exist."

To his surprise, John said. "Now now… come on, Chewy. Radek spent months working it out. Sam's double checked it and it works. No replicators, no head scanning, and no terminators." He directed the last quip towards Daniel, who gave him a shit eating grin.

"Gee, thanks John, looks like I'll be adding to my political enemies list."

John chuckled at Daniel's dry wit and shook his head as he sat back. "I do think we should have some safeguards though."

"Hey, sorry guys but uhh…" Interrupting the three men, Nevas opened the door and popped his head in. "Teyla's out here."

Daniel smiled, a little reason would help his case with Ronon out. "Come on in, both of you. We've got alot to talk about."

Nevas got a nervous looking grin, but he was obviously holding back some laughter. "Yeah i know... I would, but it's not exactly that easy."

Ronon snorted, amused by how Nevas was a little intimidated. "What's wrong?"

Opening the door fully, Nevas motioned for them to follow. "See for yourself."

The three men gave each other looks, and then one by one got up and left the glass office. They crossed the little bridge to the control room, and saw Nevas motion down to the gateroom. What they saw instantly broke the tension of the conversation earlier.

Teyla was at the bottom of the steps, in a ridiculously large and flowing taffeta pink dress that was preventing her from climbing up without tripping. Her voice was indignant. "Are you going to just stand there or will you assist me?"

Ronon snorted and looked to Daniel. "You're on your own."

He quickly began to walk away, but Teyla's voice calmly and dangerously added. "I know where you sleep, Ronon."

John chuckled and began to walk down along with Nevas, the others following him. "Teyla! where did you get that ridi…?"

"_It…_ was a gift." Teyla interrupted John not wanting to hear more than was necessary. "The Settler leaders _somehow_ decided that as I was going to be representing them, I should _look_ the part."

Now up close and personal, all four men struggled not to laugh as Teyla was obviously embarrassed beyond belief. Daniel winced and shrugged. "Pink suits you."

Teyla's death glare told Daniel he'd pay for the quip. "I _won't_ offend the leaders by not accepting their gift in the spirit of which it was given… but…" She groaned softly and ground her teeth. "I shall require… _assistance_ to get up the stairs."

Ronon smirked deviously and looked her up and down. "You still got legs under there?"

Nevas stifled his laughs, but not that well. "Ohh…_Ascended ancestors_… All my guys gave me was a bottle of booze." He looked at the stairs, then back at Teyla, and finally the others. "Is this gonna happen everytime we have a meeting?"

* * *

---------- 365 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 63 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

* * *

Carson watched as Ronon made his daily trip down to where Dusty was still lying unconscious. The wound had healed, his radical new treatment combining protein induced stem cells and biofoam had worked wonders and Dusty had served as a great platform to test it. Not that he hadn't done testing beforehand, but if it meant Dusty would heal faster, than all ahead full no?

It had been like this every day, Ronon would come, he'd sit for about 10 to 20 minutes recounting the days affairs, and he'd leave. Simple, to the point, and not at all as romantic as Reyna and Kraya seemed to think. But then again, Carson was never one for high levels of romance. Everyone worried, and everyone came by to visit every now and again, but Ronon was the only one to insist that when Dusty woke up, because she _would_ wake up, she never be told he'd come to see her.

What really cheered his heart up was the way Radek had improved so significantly. It surprised him to see Renata take such a shining to the Doctor, especially given that beforehand, Radek had been so… well not anti-social, but he wasn't exactly a party boy. Carson watched for a moment as Renata laughed softly as she recounted the days events to Radek who joked around and teased her, both soon joined by Rafaela who also seemed a little better for wear..

Carson had always felt a little resentment that he'd come to this galaxy by force. But as he finished his rounds and ended up heading to a late dinner with Reyna, Daniel and Teyla, he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

* * *

Laura watched and sat alongside Sam as they watched Chuck and John mess around on their guitars, singing an old Chris Issac tune. This new years had turned out to be so different than Laura had expected. Not even 2 months ago she'd been on the verge of insanity from the pressure on her, and now? Now Chuck was strumming his guitar keeping the bassline going while John strummed the melody and belted out the lyrics.

A lot of the settlers and travelers had come to enjoy the Earth based music, and had even added their own music to the mix. The Travelers seemed to enjoy country and western more, while the settlers oddly preferred world music. Chuck had nearly fainted when played the Firefly soundtrack and the Travelers loved it.

The city was healing. Laura could feel everyone feeling happier, It was odd, Aleron had said something about having to wear gloves to stem the tide of emotion, whatever that meant. The principle was the same though, Laura had noticed everyone back to some sense of normality. She'd even helped Chuck organize more little events so people would be able to have some fun.

Like tonight, open mic night in the mess hall. "Woo!"

Chuck smiled and continued playing. One of the Travelers had found an instruction video on drumming and had given Laura a break on the percussive instruments. John continued belting out the song, obviously having a better voice than he preferred to let on.

Laura loved the way Sam simply sat back and smiled. She'd nabbed the Viola there was in storage and as far as Laura knew, she practiced whenever she got a chance. Who knew? Maybe one of these days Sam would surprise them all by playing a solo. It was nice to see someone who'd been on the brink from all the pressure relaxing and enjoying life finally

* * *

"_I was a ghost… before… you came…" _When Rafaela often spent time alone, she'd found that music helped to relieve the boredom working on scientific projects could produce. It especially helped when she mentally hummed it along as well, just to give her brain _some_ respite.

_"I was a slave… but then… I changed…"_ This particular song had been stuck in her head for weeks now. It was an old song, something she'd first heard in college so many years ago. The gentle melody served to relax, the heartfelt lyrics spoke a lot more than she wanted to admit.

_"And I will take… the good… and bad…" _Alicia had invited her out, something about a kind of camp out on one of the piers. Evidently, a lot of people were going and there was going to be music, dancing, and even a few games.

_"…For many… I am a slave… to this… again." _Sitting alone in her lab, Rafaela sighed and looked around. There were so many little things that caught her attention. A gemstone easily worth several thousand dollars her team had found on a recon mission. They'd found an entire cave filled to the brim with them, a geological wonder. Off to the side, a personalized vest her team and Mila had done for her. It had 'Doc Raffie' emblazoned on it and brought a smile to her face.

_"So leave me alone… before… the strain… of listening to me becomes more… than you can bear…" _She missed them all. She only ever talked to them on occasion, and with Reyna the most. The Traveler Doctor had a way with people that just made her easy to talk to, almost as if you never had to worry about offending her, or even that she wouldn't want to listen. Alicia had been busy, but she tried to spend time with her and the others watching movies, training in the gym, even just going for a walk around Atlantis. Aleron had even proven to be an interesting person, coming by every so often along with Alicia. Rafaela didn't really see what Alicia had against him, Aleron was charming, and obviously a very determined young man. To suffer as he had and remain chipper was something Rafaela had only begun to understand.

_"Or maybe this time… we will… be fine…" _Aleron had been inspiring whether she wanted to admit it or not. Rafaela still missed talking to Dusty, messing around with Alicia, even putting her foot in her mouth when Reyna or Dan would say something smart. And deep down if she admitted it, Dan had always been there for her. With so much time to think about it, _forced_ to think about what a horrible thing he'd told her… she'd come to see his point.

_"Or else… tomorrow… will be… lost."_ She needed to find out for a fact. It'd been two months, and now… now she'd healed enough to face the truth.

Rubbing her face as she got up to leave her lab, she also swore to stop singing to herself as it made her look schizophrenic.

* * *

Sam let a soft relaxed sigh out as she felt John's hand run along her shoulders and down her back. She'd gotten so used to this feeling, but at the same time, didn't get tired of it one bit. "Can't believe it's been a year."

John continued to rock their bodies back and forth on the balcony to their room, it wasn't exactly the most festive new year he'd had, but with Sam in his arms, both dancing in the twilight of the stars with the nearby planet doubling as a moon, it was probably the most romantic. "Lot's happened…almost too much."

Sam pulled her head off his shoulder. They'd both decided to wear casual wear, neither really feeling like making it a formal occasion. Few of the Travelers or Settlers saw it as a special occasion, only the Earth Born and a few select people deciding to celebrate in their own way. "It's never dull on Atlantis."

John chuckled softly and continued to spin Sam around, he'd nearly died laughing when Sam _ordered_ him to let her lead on the last dance, but he'd obliged and the soft ballad music Chuck had provided made the atmosphere quite lovely. "I don't think I could live without some excitement in my life." John smiled and scoffed at himself. "Does that make me crazy?"

Sam snickered and allowed John to twirl her around, this was getting to the point of ridiculous romance and she needed to stop soon before bursting out laughing. "Nope, cuz then I'm crazy too." She pulled herself back, and wasn't at all surprised when John caught her. Sam had wanted a relationship for such a long time, something simple that she could have and not worry about whether her partner was going to worry about _her_. But she'd wanted it so hard she compromised… and nearly missed out on something like this.

* * *

"Please, you love it when I tease you."

Kraya rolled her eyes and ran a brush through her long blonde hair. "Maybe, but don't just leave and go chasing some other girl's ass as soon as we get there."

Dan smiled at Kraya in the mirror and snaked one arm around her, the other rubbing her lower cheeks. "Aww… does this one miss me already?"

Kraya couldn't help it and laughed. Dan could be so funny when he was shameless. That'd been what originally attracted her to him. Well… that and the fact that when she'd knocked on the door to the bathroom that he was occupying, he'd replied with a rather suggestive proposal if she wanted to get inside. "You know, I'm probably just going to go home with someone else. You're not the only one who knows how to please a woman."

Dan chuckled and gave Kraya a light spank before turning and heading towards his closet. "Hey, I'm not stoppin' ya, Long as you remember I might not come home with you either."

It was always like this, Kraya was just like the girls back home on Earth, the brutally honest ones anyway. Dan enjoyed them, there wasn't any drama.

As if the gods like to play pranks, the doorbell rang, Kraya turned towards Dan as she hooked her bra around her and quipped. "Another girl already? _Damn,_ you _do_ work fast!"

Dan snorted, but didn't say anything. Kraya knew the score, all this was just fun. He slipped that nicer shirt Sam had given him back during Christmas and headed towards the door from the bathroom. His smile faded as soon as she opened it and recognized the person outside. "Rafaela…"

The slightly shorter woman nodded and pursed her lips before speaking. "Dan… can we talk?"

Dan didn't really know what to think. After two months, he figured the matter was just going to remain buried and never settled. He'd seen it happen before, why not now? "Uhh…"

Rafaela laughed almost self-deprecatingly. "I don't _care_ if you've got a dozen naked women inside. I just wanna talk."

Seeing that she'd mentally prepared for anything, Dan nodded once and turned his head. "Hey Kryonic! Back in a minute!"

From behind in the room, Kraya's voice carried. _"Whatever!"_

Rafaela could almost laugh. It was so nonchalant… she'd come to expect no less from Dan. Slowly he stepped out and buttoned up his shirt. "I'm a little bit of a hurry, this gonna take long?"

Fully prepared for this, Rafaela shook her head. "No. I just wanna ask you some things."

Dan shrugged as he finished buttoning up. "Shoot."

A moment to catch her breath, and Rafaela said it in a simple tone. "Why'd you have to make it so_… hurtful?"_

Dan pondered the question, she'd answered much more than she'd actually asked. He was mildly surprised that she'd been able to capture so much in a single sentence. "…Because you'd never been hurt like that before, and if I just told you, you wouldn't have believed me."

Not exactly the answer she was expecting, but then again, here she was at seven in the evening asking Dan why he'd said such a crude thing to her two months previous. "You could have tried."

Again, Dan shrugged. "Not my style."

He was such a bastard, Rafaela had always thought that maybe there was a little bit of good in him, but even _that_ was twisted. He honestly and truly thought that humiliating her, albeit privately, was the best thing. But then again, he _had_ stated his rules… rules she'd agreed to… rules she'd broken. "I'm not sure I can forgive you."

Dan was _really_ surprised now. Rafaela was being unbelievably logical and unemotional. He hadn't expected such a strong change from her. "I don't want your forgiveness."

Rafaela could see they'd reached an impasse, so she finally laid down what she'd come here to say. "If I can forgive you… and I'm not saying I can… can we still be friends?" She wanted that. More than anything else, right now Rafaela wanted to count Dan as someone she could trust in necessity. She wouldn't fall into the same trap as before and trust _only _him, but Rafaela still wanted something so ingrained as she had before.

Dan, to her surprise, smiled softly. "I've never stopped being your friend."

A smile threatened to emerge on her lips, but Rafaela held it back. She needed more time, and she needed time away from him. "Good. I'll see you around…" she then bowed her head and sighed. "Maybe."

Quietly, Dan watched as Rafaela turned and walked away. Things had turned out a little better than expected, but after two months, he wasn't sure exactly what their friendship would be able to recover to. At least now Rey and Leesha could stop bitching at him about some supposed crime he'd committed. Dan turned and headed back to his quarters, and as soon as he opened the door, Kraya was standing there with an annoyed look on her face. "Where's my underwear?"

Dan smirked. _That_ was a crime he'd committed."

* * *

**Remember to Subscribe to C2 Archive**


	5. Chapter 5

From: Daniel Jackson

To: Atlantis Command

Re: Population and Planet

I've just gotten back numbers from all Elders and Traveler Captains, there are currently 6473 people living on Atlantis. Specifically, 4421 Travelers, 2040 Settlers, 11 Earth Born left over from the Expedition, and one Olim.

I want to make this clear, just because there are more Travelers than Settlers, I _will not_ accept preferential treatment. The same with the Earth Born members getting preferential treatment simply because they've been here the longest. We're all in this together and unless we work together towards a common goal, we're all just going to hang separately when the time comes.

For the interim until we can hold a general election of our leaders and officials, if you have any issues that you cannot resolve yourself (and I mean peacefully), contact any member of the security team and they will inform the proper people. If for whatever reason this does not work, then talk to your elders or captains, if this _still_ does not work, then contact any member of the Earthborn. I know it may seem like we're being favorited, but realistically speaking, we're the ones who know this city the best. We're more than willing to help you and I've gotten assurances from all of us that we _will_ put your concerns and needs above our own personal ones.

This does _not_ mean you can order us around. Ask politely. I _will_ _not_ reply to any more cries of _"King of Atlantis"._

In one final note, I have taken a vote amongst your tribe leaders and Traveler Captains. In a majority vote, the planet we're now inhabiting has been called "Ares" after the mythical Greek God of War, and according to the Travelers, one of the fleet commanders of the Lantean Space Fleet during the Wraith Lantean war.

And yes, Chuck. I get the irony of calling a red planet that's the fourth in a solar system "Ares" when the Roman counterpart was Mars. I think I know a _little_ more about Mythology than most.

Daniel Jackson.

---------- 366 days in Hoag's Object ----------

---------- 63 days AOI (After Olim Invasion) ----------

There were a few sounds in John's opinion that could easily be misconstrued. Take rain for instance, right now, partially asleep, he was completely sure that rain was coming down on the balcony outside his quarters causing the tap-tap-tap sound nearby.

It took a few seconds to realize that it wasn't rain, especially given that this was a rather dry planet that according to Sam, hadn't had any real rain in over an eon. "Hmm?" Getting up, John blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the mixture of dark on one side, and bright light next to him. "Sam?"

Beside him, Sam had pulled up to the headboard and was busy typing away on her tablet PC which was out of view. "John?" She turned to look at John, who was making rather unhappy noises as he shifted up. "Oh…sorry. Had a good idea and I needed to make sure I didn't forget."

John pulled up and looked around. Sam was in her pajamas, blanket all wrapped up around her. In his t-shirt and shorts, John groaned as he looked around for the clock. "Y'know… some people keep a pad of paper next to the bed to write stuff down." Getting up to a seated position, he saw something rather odd. "What the…?" There was a table next to the bed, but unlike a regular nightstand, it was tilted at an angle and the laptop was seated on it. "The heck is that?"

Sam was on an odd angle as well, she was on a diagonal with a pillow underneath her body while she typed. The laptop was tilted at the same angle she was at. "Just a little something so I don't have to get up. The table grips onto the tablet and I can type without twisting too much. Bad for the spine you know?"

John couldn't believe it. His face contorted into a tired and weary expression. The past few weeks they'd been together had been one strange moment after another for the pair, but this took the cake. He chuckled incredulously and laid back down on the bed. "And that's when I knew she was a geek." Sam snickered a little, and moved the tablet a bit more so that it didn't bother John. So it was a nice little surprise when John sat up and asked. "So what's so important to wake up at… five in the morning?"

Sam turned and then huffed. "I've been trying to get this mental interface to work without the gene, but it's slow going. The Travelers had some success but only with Lantean style interfaces. this Olim stuff is really tricky."

John just started chuckling and then laid his head back down on the pillow. "Too bad you can't just use a keyboard and mouse, Chuck'd be a commando if he could fight like that." As he sat down, he was shocked when Sam shifted suddenly and tugged on him. "Hmm?"

Sam's voice rose a bit. "That's it! We've been going about this the wrong way…dammit this is exactly what happened to the Asgard!"

Thoroughly confused, John realized he likely wasn't getting anymore sleep today. "Asgard? The little naked guys?"

Sam grunted in irritation, but then pulled on him as she got up. "Come on! I'll need your help."

Seeing her jump out of bed, and quickly move around her quarters, John protested. "Oh come on! I thought we were gonna try and finally get all our crap moved tomorrow."

Sam shook her head and quickly pulled out a uniform to get changed. "This is more important." She pulled out another and tossed it to John who simply shifted again and tried to go back to sleep in protest. "Come on, John. You'll like this. We'll sort it out later, I promise."

Realizing that he couldn't fight her once she'd made up her mind, John relented and sat up. He could already tell it was going to be a fun day. "This better not involve naked aliens."

Daniel was quite pleased with how the e-mail and poster advertisement had come out. Just about every one of the six thousand people in the city came by the mess hall anyway, so it'd spread like wildfire.

Radek's plans were amazingly clear on how to follow through. they clearly showed the planning of a man obsessed. Radek himself had been astounded at his own work. Between the Traveler's technology and machining ability, and the Settler's work ethic and willingness to learn, a full three towers worth of Atlantis had been repurposed into hydroponic farms, easily creating enough simple vegetables and grains to stem the supply problem. The base of each tower had been emptied out as well, and slowly dirt and pasture was being brought in to create grazing ground for animal herding and eventual harvesting.

Even more, the neighborhoods idea he had was coming to fruition finally. He merrily hit the 'print' button and sighed as the pages began to come out. As he leaned back, he felt something tugging at his leg below. Turning, he saw Torren looking up at him while holding a bottle of some kind of liquid. "Danya?"

Daniel chuckled a little. Torren had been starting to finally speak, although he couldn't conjugate properly yet. It was cute, and Daniel was insistent that Torren learn proper speech. Picking the child up, Daniel softly corrected him. "Dan-yel. Daaaan-yel."

Torren shook his head and smiled while giggling. "Danya!!"

Hoisting the child onto his shoulder, Daniel wasn't too surprised when Teyla popped up behind him in her sleeping garments. They could hardly be called 'pajamas' given their coverage, but Daniel wasn't complaining. "Hey, you sleep okay?"

Teyla shrugged, and rubbed her face. "I used to think training for Bantos fighting was difficult. Ever since dealing with Alrich though, I almost wish I could just go back to fighting Wraith." She motioned to grab a hold of Torren, and Daniel quickly obliged.

The little child cried out as he jumped up and down in Teyla's arms. "Teya! Teya!"

Daniel snorted softly in amusement. "Typically on Earth, children would call their parents 'Mom' or 'Dad'."

Teyla shrugged as she bounced Torren around a bit, then moved over to the play pen they'd erected to give Torren some fun time on his own. "On Athos, we rarely use terms beyond Father or Mother. Once one reaches the age of adulthood though, names are used primarily."

Daniel shrugged as he moved over to where Teyla now tossed Torren a little ball, and watched as the child began to toss it around himself inside the enclosed area having fun completely on his own. Daniel had also known Teyla well enough now to see she wasn't her typical jovial self. "Something wrong?"

Teyla smiled ruefully, and she sighed as she stretched her neck. "I don't like your neighborhoods idea. I think drawing clear lines between everyone is only going to keep us divided. Especially if we divide Settlers and Travelers amongst themselves."

Daniel understood. While it was a good idea in theory, Teyla was talking about the cultural issues such a thing could instill. "I understand…but I don't think we're ready for that. Look at Alrich, he keeps complaining about not knowing anything about Atlantis, but he's not willing to put in the effort to learn the basics."

Daniel crouched over where Teyla was and put his arms around her. His leather shirt left most of his arms exposed, and Teyla pulled him in closer around her. "I know, but the Travelers have their issues as well. They look down at us like the Olim do us all. We need to learn to work together. Not live apart."

Sighing, Daniel sat down fully and tossed Torren his ball back when the boy threw it at him and laughed. "Well…I've been talking to Nevas, he's willing to get some of his people to teach the basics, and once they've got a good understanding of basic physics and chemistry, Sam's willing to become a college professor."

Teyla furrowed her brow. "College? What's that?"

Unwilling to break this somewhat sweet moment with a dictionary explanation, Daniel just shook his head and mimed an old favorite movie. "It's a place where people go to learn, but that's not important right now. Let's take a shower and get these posters up."

Raising an eyebrow, Teyla smirked suddenly. "Together?"

Daniel hadn't meant that at all, but he was pretty much pliant dough in her hands. "I knew it was a good idea to get the luxury suite." He chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her.

Rafaela had taken a few days to get used to pushing Radek around, but once he started helping with his hands on the wheelchair, it'd gotten quite acceptable. Radek himself was proving a much friendlier person, asking her how she was, what was troubling her, and even cracking a joke every now and again.

It was so strange. He was crippled and likely to stay in this wheelchair until Carson could do enough testing on a potential treatment, but he didn't seem somber at all. If anything, he seemed happy to be spending time with people. Rafaela could even swear she'd seen him flirting with Reyna! "Alright Radek, on three okay?"

Radek nodded, and gripped the wheels. "Ready,"

"1, 2, 3!"

Rafaela began to push harder and the small ramp that led up to Rafaela's own little lab was quickly defeated by their concentrated efforts. Once at the top, Rafaela panted a little at the exertion. "You know, not that I'm complaining, but why can't we just build you a motorized wheelchair? It'll take like an hour."

Radek chuckled and shook his head. "No no no…Carson was very specific, I need to get as much exercise as I can to rebuild my body. Once he starts the treatment I want to give it the best possible chance." He then smirked and motioned. "Come on, Ella! Don't tell me a cripple is going to beat you to your own lab!" He began pushing himself and with wheels, he was going quite fast.

Rafaela was again shocked. She couldn't tell if Radek had improved from his former psychotic break as he described it, or fallen into another one. "Hey! Wait up!"

"So will you ever leave me alone? Do you honestly still think I'm going to betray you?"

Alicia shrugged and slid the tray of food down to Aleron. "Maybe not, but I still don't trust you. Just because you've told me a few things doesn't mean you're on my side."

Shaking his head, Aleron accepted the tray and began to pick at the food on it. "When did your people get so suspicious? My people are typically never this paranoid."

Around them, there was a lot of near pandemonium. Chuck had decided to get a little extra fun and games by setting up a betting parlor for who would win the elections of the Parliament of Atlantis. Already Daniel, Teyla and Nevas were confirmed as heads of the city's affairs, Settlers and Travelers respectively, but there were still many positions open for a type of senate and congress to make sure everyone in the city had a voice. Aleron couldn't help but see the glaring issues with such a system, but kept quiet.

Alicia on the other hand took every opportunity to remind Aleron he was different. "Yeah, I'm sure your leaders who approved the invasion are the apex of your civilization."

Turning to Alicia, Aleron took a bite, and then sighed. "Unless your people begin to trust more, you'll be doomed to fighting forever."

Snorting, Alicia gave Aleron a derisive raspberry. "You mean like your people? The people who fought each other so much that the Centaurs left the planet?" Alicia enjoyed using the few tidbits of Olim society that Aleron had let go against him. Sort of a sparring match all its own.

Aleron wasn't above using what Daniel taught him either. "We fought because the Alterra wanted to weed out our weak, your people fight because they disagree on the colors of a flag."

Before blood could be spilled, Daniel had sidled up on them with his own tray. "Am I interrupting something?"

Both Aleron and Alicia looked up, and shook their heads. Alicia replied and then shut her mouth by biting on a potato like vegetable. "No Doc, Nothing."

It was easy to tell Alicia was aggravated. Daniel had spoken with John about the plan to wean knowledge out of Aleron from all directions, and like it or not, it seemed smart. Especially since Aleron knew about the plan and seemed to appreciate the fact that he was taken so seriously. So Daniel forgot about it and replied. "Alright…" he turned to Aleron. "So how you doing, Aleron?"

Aleron shrugged. "Cogito, Ergo, Doleo."

To Daniel's surprise, Alicia screwed her face in half concern. "Doleo? I thought you said it didn't hurt anymore."

Daniel thought about it for a second, and said. "Uhh… not sure that's what he meant. 'You think…. Therefore it hurts?"

Aleron snorted and translated. "I think, therefore I'm depressed."

Understanding finally, Alicia huffed. "Kinda like ignorance is bliss."

Daniel was about to say something, especially since behind him Chuck seemed to be getting a bit swarmed by different people trying to place their bets, but Aleron replied quickly. "Perhaps not bliss, but certainly less painful."

Daniel winced as he tried to remember how peaceful and relatively docile Aleron was before the invasion. He might have still been smiling, but the hints of snark he'd give off were alarming.

"Is something bothering you, Rafaela?"

Shaking her head, Rafaela smiled at Radek as she began to show him her latest inspiration involving his projects. Brainstorming was an understatement. "No…why do you keep asking?"

Radek shrugged and wheeled himself over to her computer. "Well…to be honest, you seem much quieter. I don't think I've seen you spending time with your team nearly as much." He saw a bit of hesitation, and lowered his voice. "I know you're worried about Lieutenant Mehra. I don't blame you, but I would think that you'd rather spend the time with your friends, people you can trust."

Rafaela said nothing, as far as she knew, nobody had figured out what had happened during their time on Daedalus. She thought Reyna suspected, but the Traveler woman had only given small hints in their conversations. "Well…I'm more comfortable working with this kind of stuff than…well it just helps me deal with things you know? Technology is easier than people."

Radek lost a bit of his smile then sighed. "I thought the same thing too, Rafaela…and I ended up talking to myself. The sad part was I talked back."

A little confused for a moment, Rafaela finally understood a little of what he meant. "I getcha…I think. And well, I'm trying. I guess there's just issues I don't want to talk about."

Radek had an idea, but he kept quiet and decided to cut Rafaela some slack. "Well…as long as you know that you can deal with issues like this on your own, and sometimes you don't have to. That's all that can really be done." He gained his smile again. "Now tell me, what was this inspiration you had for the Gauss Rifle?"

Ronon walked into the infirmary once more. His hand still hurt a little, but that wasn't why he was here. Ronon had made the entire infirmary staff swear to never tell Dusty when she woke up that he'd come here. That wasn't what he wanted.

Ronon came down here to sit and to tell her what was happening every day, just like he would his own wounded comrades on Sateda. "Hey." Obviously there was no response, and Ronon simply continued. "I'm a General now. Only Military. Daniel and Teyla are dealing with the political idiots, Sheppard and Carter are on their own. Vega and Drake are doing police." He stopped for a moment, and tried to consider what she might say.

It smelled. Despite the sponge baths and turning her over to prevent bedsores, she still gave off that distinct ripe aroma a human can when they aren't in control of their bodily functions.

Ronon didn't care. He'd smelled worse, he'd trudged through rotten corpses in order to bring his people back before. The smell of shit wasn't going to deter him from his mission. "Carter wants to go to the space station. Says there might be information for you people to go back home. To Earth."

Off to the side, Reyna watched alongside Carson as Ronon continued. "Why does he do that? Did he hear about our custom?"

Carson shook his head. "I asked him a few weeks ago. The Satedans have a tradition to watch over their wounded, keep them apprised of everything going on. He says it was because you never knew when the Wraith were coming, and nobody should ever die without knowing how or why."

Reyna grimaced as she shifted in her seat, and took a sip of her tea. "That's pretty cold. Dusty's healing, I don't know why she won't wake up but I don't think depressing her is going to help."

Sighing, Carson tugged on his nose in tiredness. "It's actually very similar to your own traditions. Just different because while you want a person to come back, the Satedans were ready to die. I actually think that tradition goes back to the same Lantean custom, just that one happened in space, and the other on the ground."

Reyna thought about it for a few moments, and realized it was likely the truth. "Well… still, I'm not sure I'd want to know all the bad details if I was hurt. Promise me you won't let anyone tell me any sad things like that if I get hurt okay?"

Carson snickered once, his break was almost over and it was time to check up on the nurses who'd been practicing with physiotherapy then zip on over to the scanner lab to check on a potentially growing problem. "Reyna, if you get hurt, I'll take care of you personally and by myself." He turned and smiled. "Because I know you'd just want to correct anyone else who treated you."

Reyna chuckled at Carson's words, and wondered exactly what was going on in Dusty's mind. She wanted her friend back, somehow she knew her coming back would fix the rift that had somehow formed in her team.

* * *

**Remember to Subscribe to C2 Archive**


End file.
